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  • Tag: Rattlesnake Ridge

    • Coffee and Compadres

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on February 21, 2017

      Last Wednesday I celebrated another year of life. 365 more days of sunrises and sunsets, 365 more days of coffee sips and cupcake eats, 365 more days of snuggles with my cats, and 365 more days dreaming of the mountains.

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      I’ve never been one to take off of work for my birthday, however I don’t work Wednesdays right now. I decided to spend “the day my mom blessed the earth with my presence” by combining three of my favorite things: coffee, cupcakes, and hiking.

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      My hiking partner, who also happens to be my work partner, but most definitely not my life partner, took the day off of work to spend the day with me exploring. We left at 07:00 and we were stuck in traffic far longer than either of us would have hoped.

      As one of the many cars aggregated together on the road I found multiple reasons to smile, the most obvious being that I was not on my way to work like the majority of those around me. Another reason was the delirium that started to take over my brain from sitting too long. A pit stop at Starbucks nearby our destination was in order to fill up my tumbler.

      Waiting until we were close to our location ensured the coffee was still warm upon our arrival at the summit.

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      The forecast called for rain, and despite the fact I never quite know if this is going to be true in Washington or not, it did indeed rain. In fact, it was somewhat of a downpour most of our hike. Thankfully it was warm enough outside that the rain wasn’t uncomfortable.

      Dare I say it was fun?

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      My right hand man was kind enough to stow my cupcake in his pack because I carried the coffee in mine. In all my years hiking I’ve yet to drink coffee at the summit of a mountain. It was time for this to change, and a birthday seemed like the perfect day to change this.

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      Hiking alone is great, and I often prefer it, but when I’m alone I don’t have anyone around to capture my true beauty as these candid outtakes showcase. The rain was a nice touch giving me a true drowned rat look.

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      My name is Brittany, I am 28 years old, and I have zero shame. 

      I chose an easy hike, only 4 miles RT taking two hours of our time. This time of year I tend to stay away from the snow packed peaks, I’m still traumatized from this adventure.

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      I’m humbled when I embark on a hike that was once easy as slicing pie, and find that it winds me. Instead of letting this destroy my mental peace I use it as motivation to get back to a place of strength that I know I am capable of. This hike was doable, and I surely could have kept going, but there were moments I found myself out of breath.

      A few days prior I embarked on a local 9.5 mile RT hike, one that took 4 hours. This hike was tiring, but in different ways. Just as running challenges different muscles than swimming, hiking trails of differing elevations and distances challenges different areas of my body. My birthday hike challenged my heart rate more, and the longer local hike challenged my hip flexors more. I love variety.

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      Local hike views.

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      I bought myself a new pair of day hike shoes thanks to REI’s garage sale. They were worn maybe once, and returned because they were “too heavy.” Similar to my previous day hikers I snagged these hideous pink/red walkers for $100 less than what they would have been brand new. Sold. I tested them out on the 9.5 miler, because I like to test my pain threshold.

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      I love birthdays because they remind me that life continues to fly by, even when we feel like it’s stagnant. It’s never too late to take control of what we want to do with our time, who we want to spend it with, and how we plan to achieve happiness.

      As each day passes for me I become more in tune with what I want my life to look like, but my favorite part is that I become more accepting of the inevitable changes life entails. The ups and downs are all necessary, the emotions and trials we experience are normal, and the gut feelings we have are usually right. They all work together to write the stories of our lives. Are you living yours in a way that others would want to read about?

      Q: What’d you do for your last birthday? Post hike I ate my body weight in Thai food, and regret nothing. Autoimmune diseases take a back seat on birthdays. HA.

      brittany

      | 75 Comments Tagged Birthday, Coffee, Cupcake, Explore, Hiking, PNW, Rattlesnake Ridge, Vegan
    • Donuts and Coffee

      Posted at 7:33 AM by Brittany, on June 8, 2015

      National Running Day (NRD) and National Donut Day (NDD) were conveniently set within a day of each other. Coincidence? I think not.

      IMG_1757I logged 4 miles on NRD, 3 miles the next day, and 9 more miles between Sat/Sun . I wasn’t kidding when I said “I run to fit into my pants.” Thankfully I have a decent handle on the whole balance thing, and have been eating greens from my garden to counteract sugary donuts. Collards, and spinach, and rosemary – OH MY!

      I must be honest though and admit I did NOT actually consume a donut ON NDD. I ended up working later than planned, and good vegan donuts require a bit of travel. I instead daydreamt about the ghosts of donuts past.

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      Specifically about this epic creation from VooDoo Doughnuts in Portland. Chocolate, Oreo’s, and peanut butter. So much yes.

      I don’t follow the rules, and despite the hype and excitement behind “national” anything day, I had no problems waiting until Sunday to embark on my donut quest.

      When I think donuts, I also think coffee. A piping hot cup of Joe as black as my cat.

      Meow.

      Meow.

      SO I ventured near Seattle, climbed a mountain, and got some donuts. Good things come to those who wait. I even risked tummy woes with the chocolate flavor.

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      If a donut does not take up the entire space of your hand when being held, you need another one. Safe to assume you’ll always need two. If we’re being honest again I actually played too long in the forest yesterday and didn’t make it to the donut shop before it closed. I had to settle for the only two choices offered at Whole Foods.

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      Worth it.

      What I really wanted was a maple bar and an apple fritter. Looks like I’ll be going back.

      I also didn’t have these donuts with coffee like I had planned…so this post has turned into a whirlwind of coulda, woulda, shoulda. I did have pizza and a jam filled scone though, and I have a new appreciation for geometry. Triangles = good things.

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      I ❤ scones.

      Q: Did you celebrate NRD or NDD? Yes, yes I do fall prey to the made up holidays, but only when they support my addictions. In reality everyday is a good day for donuts and running. June 6 was national trails day…so I just clumped them all together.

      b

      | 54 Comments Tagged Donuts, Hike, Pizza, Rattlesnake Ridge, Run, Scone, Vegan
    • Hibernation is Over

      Posted at 6:56 AM by Brittany, on February 24, 2015

      The calendar says February, but the atmosphere says April. Washington has had exceptional weather lately, and despite the fact that this is TOTALLY NOT NORMAL AND WE’RE ALL GOING TO BURN THIS SUMMER, I’m enjoying it.

      I’ve hung up my parka and brought out my hiking shoes. The sun makes me itchy for activity, and that consists of anything that gets me moving. Things like…

      Running

      My latest weekend “long run” was a success. This is always a good thing.

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      Burning 800 calories before 10 am meant two desserts that day. In an attempt to prevent over indulging in sweets, I’ve been eating dessert…every day. This daily consumption also motivates me to move more. What’s similar to running?

      Walking

      In nature.

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      Nature walks tide me over long enough until I can do my favorite outdoor activity…

      Hiking

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      Pre hike fuel from my favorite local GF/V bakery. Blueberry scone.

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      I made it out for a solo hike on Sunday, and despite the weekend crowd it was delightful. An extra mile up the mountain resulted in complete solitary. 5 moderately simply miles earned me a kick ass view, and over a pound of food for my belly.

      Not including dessert

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      Thank you Whole Foods, your vegan cupcakes make my mountain loving heart flutter.

      My dear friend Lily painted me a mountain scene for my birthday, and I adore it so very much. Also, can we just take a moment to talk about how dapper my wall looks with my new poster? Mountains, tree’s, and leaves OH MY.

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      As you can see, I clearly have impeccable decorating skills.

      It’s time to donate my layer of blubber to a seal in Antarctica, hibernation is OVER.

      Q: What are your favorite outdoor activities?

      atterned-n

      | 75 Comments Tagged Adventure, Gregory Alan Isakov, Hiking, Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge, Running, Vegan
    • Empty Mind, Filled Soul

      Posted at 4:40 AM by Brittany, on December 15, 2014

      I have a tendency to wander. Wander in life, wander in my mind, and wander with decisions. I often end up with three cupcakes instead of one because life is too short to settle on one thing. I adore this mindset, but sometimes it backfires. I don’t necessarily feel lost, just a bit ADD at times. Tolkien said it best after all. picstitch

      As I mentioned in my last post, I’m <finally> on a break from school for the remainder of the month. Despite the fact that my final was last Wednesday, I skipped out on studying last Monday and headed to the mountains instead. I needed to wander.

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      It had been two months since I last hiked, and three months since I had been to the area where I spent most of my summer exploring.

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      What was once a simple 4 mile hike that I could do with my eyes shut, quickly became a moderately difficult hike that caused me to loose my breath a handful of times.

      It was never “I need to stop I’m going to die” difficult, but it wasn’t a cake walk like it used to be. This made the view from the top very rewarding.

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      I can’t put into words the feeling I got when I stepped foot on those rocks. I almost wanted to cry. After struggling to find my footing with a school/life balance the last few months this solo hike was beyond necessary. I was the only person at the top and I took full advantage of it because this hike is typically PACKED with people.

      No people means you have to take your own photo at the top. I hate selfies, but I tried.

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      No adventure to the mountains would be complete without a solid refuel. I needed a foodie adventure because as I previously mentioned, my eats have been rather boring.

      I drove all around Seattle for some good eats <—true story.

      I didn't plan on a slice of pizza, but once I saw it I had to have it.

      I didn’t plan on a slice of pizza, but once I saw it I had to have it.

      I found my way to a local vegan bakery that I had been wanting to try for a while.

      Lemon blueberry cupcake.

      Lemon blueberry cupcake.

      Chocolate mousse filled cupcake.

      Chocolate mousse filled cupcake.

      I also snagged a mini pumpkin bread, which didn’t stand a chance for a photo. I tornado inhaled that the second I got back to my car. I got concerned stares.

      ..but when treats taste this good, all cares go out the window.

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      They say to do what you love and the money will follow, but what if you’re not concerned about money? Sure I want to be able to survive, but I’m a minimalist and I’m OK with a minimal lifestyle. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I do know that today my soul is filled, and my life is balanced once again.

      Q(s): 

      • Thoughts? 
      • Cookies or cupcakes?
      • Did you settle on one thing you wanted to do for a living? I suspect I’m going to be a personal chef/mountain tour guide/novice blogger/treat baker/coffee guru/cat wrangler for many years to come – – – for now I’m OK with that. 

      b

      | 80 Comments Tagged Explore, Hiking, Rattlesnake Ridge, Vegan
    • Quality Over Quantity

      Posted at 3:56 PM by Brittany, on August 13, 2014

      Over the last couple years I’ve become very content spending a lot of my time alone. This is nothing new, as I have been blogging about my solo adventures for quite some time now. To put it bluntly, I’ve found there are very few people I actually want to spend my time with.

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      With that said, the rare times I do spend with other people I am very picky about who those people are. My time is valuable to me, and I don’t have the energy to spend time with people that don’t add anything beneficial to my life. We all deserve quality connections.

      I don’t say this to be harsh, I say it to be real.

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      After visiting the Starbucks corporate office, my two gal pals and I headed North to hike Rattlesnake Ridge, a hike I’ve done multiple times now. Leave it to me to suggest a hike as part of our activities.

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      I adore these girls to pieces, but they are both leaving me very soon. One is moving to another Starbucks about 15 miles away, and  the other is moving to another Starbucks (and school) in IDAHO! 😦

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      I don’t have a lot of friends, but I have quality friends and that’s what matters most to me. The kind of friends that you can go months without seeing, and pick up right where you left off.

      It’s also necessary for me to spend my time with people that understand/accept my personality, and that share similar interests. Friendship is like dating – the ones that don’t mesh well, don’t evolve and end up in a split. It also helps when they’re equally as quirky.

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      The point of this post was not to allow me to ramble, but simply to highlight the fact that like most things in life: quality over quantity.

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      I am quite content with my balance between alone time and time spent with others. I wouldn’t change anything about where I’m at!

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      You should totally click this to enlarge it.

      Q: Do you prefer spending your time in large groups with a lot of people, or being more selective on time spent with others? I don’t mean like a party, because that’s a different situation. Just in general everyday friendships.

      atterned-n

      | 48 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Nature, Rattlesnake Ridge, Starbucks
    • Rattlesnake Ridge – First Attempt

      Posted at 8:11 AM by Brittany, on July 25, 2014

      I took myself on a date last weekend. I really enjoy dating myself and doing things that most people do with others, all alone. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy spending time with people (sometimes) but lately I prefer to be alone. Just because I’m solo doesn’t mean I can’t explore!

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      My date started with my first attempt at solo hiking. I have been wanting to build my confidence and become more comfortable hiking alone, so I went to a popular trail…on a Sunday.20140720-202716-73636118.jpg

      Needless to say my first attempt at hiking “alone” didn’t go as I had planned. I wasn’t really alone because there were SO many people on this mountain, and at times I had to weasel my way around them. Sure I came alone, but I didn’t feel alone.

      I did feel safe though, perhaps this is a start?

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      In order to ditch the crowds I continued climbing past the main vantage point. I brought some homework with me and was pleased to see that the spot I wanted was completely empty. Just me & nature.

      …and biology.

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      I could get used to doing homework above the trees.

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      Post hike I took myself to PCC for a vegan brownie, and then made my way to Whole Foods to balance my brownie out with greens.

      I have no words...I need ten more.

      I have no words…I need ten more.

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      Despite the crowds, I found being alone on this hike to be serene. It’s funny to look back and remember a time when I was so dependent on other people for a lot of things in my life. These days I couldn’t be more independent, it’s such a beneficial quality for me to have.20140720-194346-71026049.jpg

      I’ll attempt another solo hike this weekend (I hope.) With my knife, my mace, lots of food, a lighter, and a trail I am familiar with! Any tips?

      For more photos of Rattlesnake Ridge click here.

      Q: Do you depend on other people a lot, or do you take your adventures into your own hands at times?

      b

      | 53 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge
    • ob·ses·sion

      Posted at 6:19 AM by Brittany, on June 9, 2014

      ob·ses·sion

      : someone or something that a person thinks about constantly or frequently

      : an activity that someone is very interested in or spends a lot of time doing

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      It’s safe to say I am officially obsessed with hiking. I think about it all the time, and I partake in it every weekend, usually twice. When I’m bored I look at photos of mountains, or browse REI for new gear.

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      I hiked not one, not two, but three mountains this weekend. Two of them in one day, I just can’t get enough. Two of these hikes were new to me. The first one was the Rattlesnake Mtn Trail. Amazing.

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      I continue to be in awe of each vantage point I come to.

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      It’s amazing to me how at peace I feel when I am in the trees. I could literally sit atop a mountain like this for hours staring at one spot.

      The trifecta: Mountains, trees, and water.

      The trifecta: Mountains, trees, and water.

      Rattlesnake was about 5 mi total, but I needed more. So I ventured over to Little Si, which is a smaller version of the hike I did last week.

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      This trail was full of the most lush foliage I’ve ever seen.

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      The view at the top was like a sea of trees.

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      I have found my summer passion. I think it’s time to invest in some real hiking shoes, and camping gear. As if I needed another reason to love my time with nature, back to back hiking calls for epic refueling.

       

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      Q: Where do you feel most alive? Next to chocolate cake, and in the forest. 
      atterned-n
      | 57 Comments Tagged Explore, Hiking, Little Si, Mountain, Nature, Pizza, Rattlesnake Ridge, Vegan
    • BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long bike rides, deep connections, exploration, and lots of cucumbers.
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